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Benfica confirmed that Real Madrid plans to trigger José Mourinho's $17.4 million (€15 million) release clause to bring the "Special One" back to the Bernabéu ahead of the 2026–27 season.
Club president Florentino Pérez revealed Mourinho's anticipated return on Wednesday as part of his re-election campaign. The Spaniard made clear that the Portuguese tactician is set to replace Álvaro Arbeloa, with an official announcement expected to follow should he beat Enrique Riquelme in Sunday's vote—an outcome widely anticipated.
The snap elections made it impossible for Real Madrid to secure Mourinho at the reduced fee of $3.5 million (€3 million), which was only available during a 10-day window following the end of the season. They are now required to pay five times that sum.
Benfica released a statement on Thursday confirming that Pérez's candidacy for the Real Madrid presidency "has expressed its firm intention to hire" Mourinho "should he win the elections for the presidency of this club, scheduled for June 7, 2026."
"If this scenario occurs, the contract will be signed for €15,000,000, corresponding to the termination clause of the current sports contract."
Why Pérez Is Bringing Back Mourinho
Mourinho remains a polarizing figure to take charge of Real Madrid. The manager carries an impressive track record and credentials, but also brings the risk of unwanted controversy, along with disappointing recent spells at Roma, Fenerbahçe, and Benfica.
Mourinho had barely been mentioned in connection with the club for most of 2026, before suddenly emerging as the leading candidate for the role, largely driven by Pérez's personal confidence in the manager.
"Mourinho is one of the world's great coaches and he was very important for Real Madrid during his time with us," Pérez told AS.
"He was the coach of that famous record-breaking league season. He pushed the team to extraordinary levels of competitiveness, and that laid the foundation for everything that was accomplished afterward."
Indeed, Los Blancos claimed La Liga glory with a record-setting 100 points under Mourinho in 2011–12, netting 121 goals throughout the campaign. However, the president glossed over the turbulence that followed, when the manager clashed publicly with Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema before departing in 2013.
Pérez Issues Plea to Real Madrid Fans
It is no secret that Real Madrid supporters are deeply frustrated with the club's current state. Capacity crowds at the Bernabéu repeatedly jeered the players at every opportunity toward the end of a dismal 2025–26 campaign, with Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior drawing the most hostile reactions.
Fans also directed their anger at Pérez, who moved swiftly to suppress any public signs of unrest. The president has since devoted much of his campaign to rebuilding goodwill among Madridistas worldwide, making a series of pledges to shift focus away from a trophy-free season and a fractured dressing room.
Pérez believes that Mourinho, combined with a string of new signings—beginning with Denzel Dumfries and the anticipated addition of Ibrahima Konaté—will steer the club back in the right direction.
The 79-year-old called on supporters "to trust us, as they always have." He added to AS, "I assure them we will have a great squad and a very strong team, with new additions. We will strengthen every line of the team to compete for every title."